Tongue Tied *UNDERGOING EDITING*

3. Change My Mind

Ariel's POV 

The next morning, I've officially prepared what I will say to Luke about our project.

He is helping whether he likes it or not.

I walk into school, head held high while mentally preparing myself to tell Luke that he's helping me with our project. The only problem is that I can't find him. I'm hoping to see him in first period so I can talk to him. You can do this, Ariel. You can do this. After saying good morning to Zoey and getting my books for first three periods, I walk to class class. There he is, early today unlike yesterday. He's sitting on top of his desk and talking to Dylan. I swallow hard and take a step towards them.

I can't do this. I start to turn around when I hear my name. "Hey! Partner!" someone says. Ok, maybe not my name, but I don't think Luke knows my name. And now he's spotted me. I close my eyes and turn around. "Come over here." he says. I walk towards them, Dylan staring at me the whole time. I look over at him nervously and he nods his head at me. I smile awkwardly, although I'm sure it looks like a grimace. I turn my attention back to Luke and force the butterflies from my stomach. "You know I have a name, right?" I say to him. "Of course, yeah, everyone has a name. I just don't happen to know yours." he says confidently. "Well it would do you some good since were going to be spending a lot of time together working on our project." I say to him with a smile.

He looks confused. "What?" he asks. "You heard me, Luke. I'm not doing this project by myself. Your my partner and partners help other partners, so whether you like it or not, your helping me with this project. No exceptions." I state confidently as well. "Shand I feel my cheeks warm. "Shut up." Luke says and then turns to face me. "What's your name?" he asks. "Ariel. Meet me at the library after school. We're doing this book for our project." I say and toss a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird on his desk. Then I turn on my heel and walk back to my desk. That went well, I think to myself and then sit down.

Class starts, ends, and I go through the rest of my day, telling Zoey about my encounter with Luke and Dylan. After seventh period, I walk down to the library and start to look around for an empty table when I see none other than Luke. He's sitting at a table in the far corner of the room, reading To Kill A Mockingbird. My lips form a small smile, who knows why. Maybe its because Luke actually listented to me. I walk over to his table and sit down. He looks up from the book, appearing slightly startled. "Oh, uh, hi." he says, quickly shutting the book and putting it away in his bag.

"You don't have to hide it. I saw you reading." I say as I set up my things. "Yeah, whatever." he says. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? I saw you reading the book. Its nothing to be ashamed of." I say. "I was reading it because its for our project which your making me help you with." he says. "I'm not making you do anything. Your supposed to help me with the project, Luke. That's what partners do, they help each other, not make the other one do all the work." I say. He is seriously getting on my nerves.

"Whatever." he says. I roll my eyes and pull out a piece of paper. "The assignment says that we have to read our book, then write a detailed five page paper in our own words, separately. Then together, we create a presentation for the class along with our own design of a book cover on a large piece of poster-board." I read off the requirements from the rubric. "OK then." he says. We work for about an hour and a half, either reading or talking about the design for our book cover.

Suddenly, Luke says he has to go and quickly packs up his things before leaving. I roll my eyes as I begin to pack up my stuff. Why does he have to be so stubborn? We were working perfectly fine together, and then he gets all defensive and leaves without even saying goodbye. I know he doesn't want to be seen with me. I'm not the kind of girl guys like Luke hang out with. After getting my books for home I leave school by myself. Zoey can't come over today because she has to work on a project with her partner at school.

As I'm leaving the school, I'm stopped by someone in tall black boots and a very short skirt. I look up from the ground only to find Alyssa Green, Luke's girlfriend. "Hey, Ariel." she says lightly, but I can hear the bitterness dripping from her sickly sweet tone. "Wow you actually know my name." I say. "Wow you can actually talk." she says, her voice changing completely.

"Look, if you could do me a favor and leave Luke alone, that would be great. He's my boyfriend and he want's nothing to do with someone named after a Disney princess. Got it?" she says, hands on her hips and her face contorted in a pouty look. "Got it. I didn't want anything to do with him anyway. We're just partners for an English project. I'll back off and do the project myself." I say while nodding. "Awesome! Plus for the both of us." she says and clicks her high heeled boots back down the hallway. I turn to watch her go and see Luke standing in the hallway watching us. Alyssa links her arm with his and walks away with him trailing behind. I watch until they turn the corner and then run out of the school.

I dart home and run up to my room, closing the door behind me. I will not let Alyssa's words affect me. I don't feel anything except contempt toward Luke. He's an ass and a jerk and he doesn't care about any girls feelings because he's a player. I should seriously just let him off the hook for the project and do it myself. Maybe it would be easier that way. Then I wouldn't have to worry about Alyssa watching my every move. And I change my mind for what feels like the hundredth time this week. I'll do the group portion of the project myself, and everything will be fine.

~~~~~~~

"Wait, your saying I don't have to help you with the project?" Luke confirms the next day in class. "Yeah." I say. "But yesterday you said that I was going to help whether I liked it or not." he says. "Yeah." I say again. "You seriously need to make up your mind, Ariel." he says, laughing lightly. "I have made up my mind. Alyssa doesn't want me to talk to you, so the best solution is for me to do the project by myself. You're off the hook." I say. As I'm turning around to go back to my seat, I feel a hand on my forearm, turning me around.

His touch sends warmth over my skin. Maybe he feels it too because he pulls his hand away quickly. "I'll help you with the project. Like you said, partners help partners. Don't worry about Alyssa, she's just jealous." he says. Jealous? Of me? "Why would she be jealous of me?" I ask. "I don't know. Girls are weird like that. But anyways, I'll help you." he says. "Really?" I ask, skepticism evident in my voice. "Yeah, but its nothing, so don't make a big deal about it, ok?" he says. "Thanks." I say as the bell rings. He gives me a dismissive, annoyed smile and then sits down.

As I walk back to my seat, the skin where his hand touched me still tingles. It's a strange feeling, something I've never felt before. Then again, no guy has ever touched me before. Truth is, I've never had my first real kiss. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and I sit down. Nothing is special about the way he touched me. And as I sit there in my seat, bored by Ms. Brooks lesson for the first time this year, I reassure myself that nothing about him is special to me. Absolutely nothing.